What I Read Wednesday: Murder, Necromancy, and Mean Girls

Sounds like quite the mix doesn't it?  I feel like someone would find this list and think I have attention deficit issues with my reading interests.  But stick with me here.  I have quite a variety on my Goodreads to-read bookshelf and I'm pulling random books off that list over my fall break...enjoying my extra downtime.

A Dark Mind by T.R. Ragan | You may have seen my other WIRW posts in which I reviewed the first two books in the Lizzy Gardner series.  If not, check them out.  Although, you could get away with reading A Dark Mind and not get too lost in the details.

Like thriller or crime movies I love, Dark Mind started out with a scary and heart-thumping scene in a limo driving out to the middle of nowhere. From there it took off with a look into the night when a couple walking back to their car from a date out in Sacramento, in which things take a turn for the worse. This of course was actually the start of the rash of serial killer moments.

Lizzy has a HUGE sense of bravery in this one as she seems to be finally coming to grips with her life with Jared, her crazy people magnet, and killing off her abductor. Hayley returns with an ankle monitor and seemingly has her stuff together (although it's pretty obvious she doesn't and she is putting up a front). Jessica also tries to keep a straight face when she clearly can't seem to handle the build-up of scary events. Jared is tied up with trying to solve the Lovebird Killer case. 

I can't decide if the Spiderman (from 1st book) or the Lovebird Killer grosses me out more. Both gave me the chills and creeps. Frankly, the LK seems way more screwed up and his back-story that you learn about slowly throughout the book is insanely irksome. I did not figure out who the killer was till Lizzy did and while I thought I had figured it out, I was completely wrong! I appreciate Ragan's writing more for that. 

Ragan continues to write books that remind me of all those fantastically scary and thrilling movies I watch over and over. Thank goodness this one didn't have the cheesy Scooby Doo type detective work that Dead Weight did. I look forward to possibly reading a 4th in the series!  And thank goodness T.R. Ragan redeemed herself after the 2nd book.  Thank goodness!

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars || Goodreads Average:  4.05 stars

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride | While this book is completely out of my usual realm of reads...I quite liked it! I only picked this one up after so many of my Goodreads friends raved about it a couple years ago on their shelves and Twitter. Not really knowing what a Necromancer is (like I said, it's not my forte), I added it to my list. Just so everyone else knows, "Necromancy: conjuring the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events."

I can't decide whether this book was a good read because it was funny or because it was scary. I'm going to say funny, since McBride originally wrote this as a short story with a fast food worker being attacked by all sorts of paranormal fiends. 

How could one not like that all the chapters are song titles or lyrics that go perfectly with the events in each?!

Sam makes the mistake of breaking the taillight of a fancy man's silver car. From there, he deals with lots of blood, threats, and confusion as he tries to figure out who he is and why Douglas is after him with a vengeance. For those paranormal lovers, you will get to enjoy weres, witches, dragons, and all sorts of other creatures. Oh and you get to laugh quite a bit throughout as well with a talking head, sculptures that attack, and a waffle-loving harbinger.

I know several of my friends who will love this book, so I hope they try it out too!  

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars || Goodreads Average:  4.02 stars

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers | I was still processing this one hours after I finished reading it.  I had initially given it 3 stars, but quickly changed that to 4...because I know a book that messes with my head hours afterwards deserves more than 3.  

What I wrote up after I first finished:  Trying to wrap my mind around this. 3 stars because I liked it and read it in one day, but that ending, boy that ending. I want to say Summers just proved that girls like those in this book just never quit. They keep bullying, torturing, and hating on others because of their low self-worth and low self-esteem. I'm going to tell myself this is why she wrote the ending this way. Ugh.

It's hard to decide how to feel for Regina. No one deserves the treatment she was given, but then again, she was that girl...to so many other people, because she was told to do it. I am of course being very vague, since I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read Some Girls Are.

Reading this was like watching Mean Girls and reading Speak, or any other Lifetime movie about the evilness of teenage girls and the navigation of high school hallways where no one ever seems to see what is going on.

What I'm thinking hours and hours later:  I'm still annoyed at the ending.  I know Summers ended the book as a way to show that things like this just happen and happen.  But the Goodreads synopsis threw me off making me think something totally different would happen.  Meh.  Read it (the Goodreads synopsis and the book) to see for yourself.  

From Goodreads:  Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder.  Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.  Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.  If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day.  She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully.  Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author ofCracked Up To Be.

Please feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow my reviews there.  I absolutely love discovering new and interesting books that I may not have found otherwise.  

I'd love to know what you have been reading or have read lately!  Care to share?

Link up with Amy to share your latest reads or what you are reading right now.  

What I Read Wednesday: A New Dystopian Favorite

Sooooo...I haven't exactly read much since I last posted 2 weeks ago.  How terrible of a reader am I?!  I cannot wait until my fall break starts the week after next, because I can hopefully sit and enjoy a couple books in that one week.  Big dreams and big hopes...we will see how well that works out for me, especially since I plan to do some fall cleaning and laundry catch-up!  Head over to Amy's post at Juice Boxes and Crayolas to check out other people's reads.

That being said, I did quite enjoy a dystopian fiction novel that has been on my to-reads list since I joined Goodreads almost 3 years ago.  Yikes!  Thankfully, I threw this choice in to my book club voting poll and it was this month's pick.  Finally, I was able to read it and it did not disappoint.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman | Seeing as how Hunger Games is my all-time favorite dystopian fiction novel, and many others that I have read have not topped it...I am happy to say this one is a definite stand-out in this genre. It has so many philosophical and morality issues faced in the present.  But because it is dystopian, it gives you a view into what all these arguments and violent reactions could possibly cause...AKA The Heartland Wars (the 2nd Civil War) over pro-life and pro-choice.

Kids can basically be "sold" by their families if they are unruly or not learning to be good and unwound so that every single body part and organ can be passed on to someone in need.  In this way, humans live on, thereby bypassing the whole dying or wasting a life argument.  But as one can imagine, this is still pretty darn immoral!  Any child can be unwound, until they turn 18.  Not only that, there are kids called tithes, who are born and then raised knowing they are going to be unwound because it follows their religious beliefs...a sacrifice.

You can possibly imagine how many people go against this insanely immoral practice, so many children run away and try to escape either before they are unwound or when they are on their way to be unwound at what they call harvest camps.  It just keeps getting crazier doesn't it?!

So of course, the main characters cover the gamete of children facing unwinding.  This story is told from each of their points of view (back and forth between chapters) and even random people or groups are thrown in to share their point of view.  I loved this style of writing as it really helped me see, feel, and consider all sides of this unwinding process brought on by the Heartland Wars.

Just know, you will question yourself as you read this as you are slammed with situation after situation of life surrounding Unwinding.  Neal Shusterman has definitely joined my list of authors I want to read more from...including the rest of this series.

From Goodreads:  The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

My rating:  5 out of 5 stars ||  Goodreads Average:  4.22 stars

Please feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow my reviews there.  I absolutely love discovering new and interesting books that I may not have found otherwise.  

What have you read lately?  Anything you care to share?  

What I Read Wednesday: A Random Mix

This week's What I Read is a bit of a mix, but with good reason!  I have had the first book on my to-read list for over a year and finally pushed it to the top of my list once I was done plugging through my summer reads.  It was a welcomed addition to my carry-on bag when I traveled back home to California last weekend too.  Books like this one make sitting in an airport and a claustrophobic airplane a much easier event to handle.  Now the other two, well, I am reading them because I won the 3rd book on Goodreads as a First Reads book...and there was no way I was going to read it until I read the first two in the series.  They seem to be a bit Indie looking, but worth it to try out.  I got both of them for $1.99 and $2.99 on my iPad Kindle.

I am really glad to be able to link up with Amy now that she is back to doing the linky for Wednesday. Definitely click over and see what she has read...as she has great taste, just like me!  That and several other people link up as well...so you can get triple the amount of book recommendations!  Whoops!  It's not till next week.  Check back then!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Like I said, this one was a must-read for awhile for me.  Tons of my Goodreads friends had already read it and rated it quite high.  Not to mention, it is being made into a movie and I wanted to jump on it before it was too late.

At the same time, I put off reading this for so long because I was afraid of how sad it would be.  But, that wasn't so.  Green did a fantastic job of writing this in a way that made you hurt for the characters, yet understand they were on a different wavelength when it came to their terminal illnesses.  Was I expecting the twist that was thrown at me?  Certainly not.  To me, the twist made this much more intense than it would have been, had it ended the way I thought it would.  Of course, I won't say much more than that, so as not to give anything away.

Green is quite the talented author as he weaved a beautifully sad and powerful story together of a teenager who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which became something more.  She is shut off in her house surrounded only by her parents.  Despite having friends still, she just can't relate and they can't relate to her.  That is what makes this story that much better.  She evolves, despite her large setback.  What occurs is a beautiful love story most adults still only dream of. I was surprised I didn't cry, as I thought I would...but I also found some of my Goodreads friends didn't either.  I didn't need the passengers on the plane wondering what was wrong with me anyway.

From Goodreads:  Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

My rating:  5 out of 5 stars  ||  Goodreads Average:  4.41stars

Abducted by T.R. Ragan | Would I ever have picked this up on my own?  Nope!  After stumbling upon the third in the series, called A Dark Mind, on the First Reads giveaway page and reading the synopsis, I was intrigued and entered to win...and won a copy! But there's no way I was going to skip the first two, especially when I read the synopsis of this series starter.  

If you are a fan of movies such as Silence of the Lambs and/or Seven, you will love this one!  I don't normally read books like this, but yet, this is a new favorite.  It reads just like the above-mentioned movies...there may even be a bloody body part sent to someone in a box!  Maybe.  

Lizzy Gardner is a private investigator in Sacramento, California. (Shout out to my college years!...well, at least I was 1.5 hours north of it)  But flashback to 14 years prior to and you learn she was the lone survivor of a crazy serial killer who goes by the name of Spiderman.  You see, he thinks he is some kind of vigilante getting rid of teenage girls who don't respect their elders and the like.  Let me just put it to you this way...he's a crazy freak who loves his spiders way too much!  Gives me the willies just thinking about why they call him this though.  Anyway, back to the present...he suddenly begins contacting Lizzy again even though everyone thought he was in prison behind bars.  Think again.  

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars  ||  Goodreads Average:  3.89 stars

Dead Weight by T.R. Ragan |  I had high hopes for this one since the first was so darn good!  Sadly, it left a lot to be desired.  While Abducted read like some of my favorite thriller/suspense movies, this one reminded me a bit too much of a Scooby Doo cartoon. You know the moment when they are chasing some crazy person who is wearing a mask and they seem to go back and forth between whodunnit?  It wasn't nearly as cheesy or horrible, but it certainly lived up to its title a bit too much...dead weight.  But the great news is that the reviews for the 3rd are way better.  Phew!

This one picks up a couple months after the first one.  All the characters are trying to come to terms with what happened to them surrounding the Spiderman serial killer.  In other words, they are all a bit messed up in the head.  Yet, the plot never seemed to get moving enough and the side story about Hayley (one of the important characters in the first) felt like it didn't quite fit.  But her story is a large part of the 3rd it seems.  

If it wasn't for the 3rd book being sent to me, I may have glazed over the rest of the series.  Stay tuned for the next post and I'll let you know how the 3rd turns out.  

From Goodreads:  Hoping murder and mayhem are behind Lizzy, she delves into her first cold case: twenty-one years ago, a girl went missing and the girl’s dying mother is more desperate than ever to know what happened to her only child.

My rating:  3 out of 5 stars  ||  Goodreads Average:  3.70 stars

Please feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow my reviews there.  I absolutely love discovering new and interesting books that I may not have found otherwise.  

I'd love to know what you have been reading or have read lately!  Care to share?

If you feel up to it...link up with Amy.  She is hosting the linky party every other week.    That of course...being next week.  :-)

What I Read Wednesday: Trying to Get Back

Back to school is always a rough and crazy time and now that I am not working on Boards anymore, I was hoping the insanity would die down.

Thankfully, I was able to finish two books in the last couple days...but only because one of them was for my book club with the girls this past weekend AND the other I raced through so I could get back to blogging this little post here and join up with Juice Boxes and Crayolas linky finally!

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult | This was my first Jodi Picoult read, believe it or not.  Not sure why I was refusing to read any books by her.  But let's just pretend I wasn't.  My book club girls and I read this for the month of August and had an awesome and insightful conversation about it around a table full of homemade baked goodies (a la the treats in the book itself).  I've read many a Holocaust inspired and nonfiction books, including The Reader (which I didn't like), a couple years back.  The Storyteller is similar to it in that a war criminal is living amongst everyday people and hiding his secret background.  But this story is done in a way that involves several different points of view from those who survived the Holocaust, were a part of it, or knew someone who survived.  I truly appreciated the storytelling nature of it on behalf of the main character's grandmother...so much so that I got lost in her story that I mixed up what was real and what wasn't.  Jodi takes you on an up and down journey as well as one that makes you question yourself over and over.  As you read, you meet the war criminal before anyone knows he is such (well, sort of...except for the synopsis tells you so) and you come to like him and enjoy him.  But just like the main character, Sage, you are taken aback and for the rest of the story can't decide what you would do in Sage's situation.  I look down upon war criminals for many obvious reasons, but I kept finding myself trying to decide if this man should be looked past.  Darn you Jodi for making me feel that way more than once!!!  Definitely pick this one up and give it a good read...especially if you are interested in the Holocaust and/or Jodi Picoult literature.

From Goodreads:  What do you do when evil lives next door? Can someone who's committed a truly heinous act ever atone for it with subsequent good behavior? Should you offer forgiveness to someone if you aren't the party who was wronged? And most of all - if Sage even considers his request - is it murder, or justice?

My rating:  5 out of 5 stars ||  Goodreads average:  4.24 stars

Infamous by Lauren Conrad | Let me preface this by saying I'm a huuuuuge fan of Lauren Conrad and have quite the girl crush on her.  If you must know more, take a look at this little blog post.  Sure, these books are for teenaged girls, but that's fine...because a good mindless book is good for the soul sometimes.  While this was my least favorite in The Fame Game series (her 2nd), I still had some fun reading it and trying to guess all about who she was ragging on from The Hills within these pages.  Jay was definitely supposed to be Justin Bobby...."crude lewd jokes, combat boots, cutoff shorts, Harley?"  Hmmmmmm...I think yes!  I can't help but wonder if Gaby and her obsession with Hollywood and becoming a Botox queen with too much plastic surgery represents Heidi as well. I'm fairly certain that only The Hills fans will ever really enjoy these books...that and 14-16 year old girls.  But if it suits your fancy to pick one of these up, then go for it!  Aside from my girl crush fandom, I do like reading about the little quirky spots in Hollywood and around L.A.  To me, Hollywood life always sounds like it could be fun for a little while, until you read all about the crazy things they do to keep up with the Joneses when they clearly aren't even remotely close to being the Joneses.  Heidi and Spencer much?!

From Goodreads:  Kate and Carmen are about to become big stars, but they’re going to have to survive some backstage drama first. Madison is learning hard lessons about fame as she deals with backstabbing “friends” and family, out-of-control paparazzi, and a scandal reported in every tabloid.

My rating:  3 out of 5 stars || Goodread's average:  3.54 stars

Please feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow my reviews there.  I absolutely love discovering new and interesting books that I may not have found otherwise.  

What have you read lately?  Do you have any book recommendations?  Or better yet...link up to Juice Boxes and Crayolas with your own What I Read (Am Reading) Wednesday post!

What I Read Wednesday: Summer Edition

I'm finally getting trying to get back in to my reading groove after finishing up a 2-year long journey through National Boards!  It's a slow going process, almost as if I have forgotten how to read or sit and read for a long period of time.  My brain and body may have misplaced its ability to sit and relax without thinking I have something else I need to be writing or typing (FYI, I finished my Boards work officially on June 21)...so maybe I'll be back to normal in another month?  

Despite having a rough time getting back to reading for enjoyment, I have read several good books in the last month and a half.  So, this is a perfect time to share them in case someone else is looking for a nice book to settle into.

Doll Bones by Holly Black | Many of my Twitter friends were talking this one up quite a bit.  Since I'm always looking for a book my 5th graders will find freaky, I wanted to find out for myself if this one was just as scary as people were saying.  Hmmmmm...it definitely had its moments, especially if you get frightened by haunted dolls.  This would have been perfect for my group of kids last year who taught me all about a haunted doll island in Mexico for one of their Unsolved Mysteries projects!  I digress...as an adult, Doll Bones didn't have me shaking in my boots, but I want to read it to my kids to see if it scares any of them.  I'm thinking this will be my next October read-aloud.  Normally, I switch between The House on Hackman's Hill or Wait Till Helen Comes. Let's get to it...

I have never read any other books by Holly Black, but she is a great writer of her creepy craft. This one comes with a ghost story from East Liverpool, Ohio in which a father supposedly creates a porcelain doll out of his deceased daughter's bones and somehow this doll ends up in a display cabinet in Poppy's house. Zach, Poppy, and Alice have wild imaginations (the kind I wish so many more kids still had these days) and are very good at creating and weaving a story in which the doll is The Queen and creepily rules over their story. But one night The Queen apparently voices her "story" to Poppy and the kids set out to help put her to rest so she won't haunt them anymore. The kids go on a quest and encounter many roadblocks along the way until they eventually learn the truth about the ghost story.

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars  ||  Goodreads average:  3.82 stars

Drinking & Tweeting by Brandi Glanville | I'm not ashamed to say that I am a fan of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Mindless TV makes me happy after working all day!  Feel free to hate on me for reading such a fluff book...but it's my summer break and I looooove me some Beverly HIlls Housewives literature. Out of the 3 who have written books, Brandi's was the best. She may not be my favorite housewife, but I can definitely appreciate where she has come from way more. All in all, this was a great fluffy summer read that I enjoyed reading! While I sometimes hate her candor on the show, it was very very fun to read in this book. Thanks for the entertainment Brandi!  Beware for those who aren't into people with potty mouths or dirty minds though, because Brandi goes there over and over in this one.  

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads to give you a little more on this fine memoir:  Brandi Glanville tells all in this hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir. Fans have been waiting for Brandi’s scoop on one of the biggest divorces of the decade, since her husband of eight years abandoned her and their two sons to marry country singer LeAnn Rimes. Not only does Brandi spill the beans about her side of the split, the lovable housewife shares the incredible wild ride that took her from a life in the ghetto to Hollywood’s most elite circles. For the first time, Brandi talks about how she escaped a rough neighborhood on the outskirts of Sacramento and stumbled into a successful modeling career that swept her into a world of Paris Fashion Weeks, private jets, and uncircumcised penises. Before she knew it, Brandi was the perfect Hollywood trophy wife—at least until her marriage exploded.

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars || Goodreads average:  3.56 stars

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb | You may have 
read one of Wally's more well-known books called She's Come Undone.  I have read one of his other books, and I can definitely say that he is very talented at getting his readers to be invested in the characters.  He really knows how to develop the plot through crazy minute details, but not in a way that will bore the living daylights out of you.  This one has been on my to-read list for 2+ years and I have put off reading it because, well...it's 800+ pages. But I decided...I'm on summer break and I finished an insanely grueling process!  I thankfully got the e-book version of this because come on...who wants to break their wrists holding up what seems like a paper weight?  

Lamb does such a nice job of detailing out his characters' lives, that this lengthy style works for him. Poor Domenico, the main character, went through so many ups and downs in this one, starting with his twin brother of course (I won't go into details, because it is part of what reels you in). But because of the catalyst, what happens in the library, he is able to grow so much and learn way more than he ever would have thought possible. I did find myself skimming through all the pages of his grandfather's "legacy," which were extremely detailed and extremely boring and anger-inducing. What a bonified jerk! He has a real knack for writing endings to his books though and like his other two that I have read, just when I was starting to get sick of the length of this one, he reeled me right back in with the wrap-up of all the loose ends.

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars || Goodreads average:  4.12 stars

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore:  A Novel by Robin Sloan | I read this little treasure for my book club's July pick.  Not sure if I would have picked this one up if it had not been for my book club, but I am definitely happy I did.  Fans of books, bookstores, and even Google will really enjoy this one!  And don't even THINK of getting it as an e-book!  Just kidding, even this book endorses e-readers in its own little way.  But really, if you do get the e-book version, you won't be able to take it into your bathroom, turn off the lights, and check out the glow-in-the-dark cover...really!!

It is in fact an intriguing read that reminds me of Angels and Demons or a trek to find the holy grail with Monty Python (or maybe even Nicholas Cage in National Treasure). This was a book about books and a bit of a "treasure hunt" with a lot of Google weaved in, which I loved! It takes place in San Francisco and eventually travels to New York into the bowels of an ooooooold library.  Um hello!  Book nerds unite!  I haven't met someone yet who did not enjoy this tome.  You'll have to read this one yourself if you want to go on the journey with Clay and Mr. Penumbra...because I don't want to take away from your treasure hunt of sorts.  

In case you don't believe me, or want to know a little more than I'm willing to give up, here is the synopsis from Goodreads:  The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars || Goodreads average:  3.79 stars

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass | Have you ever finished a book and not wanted to pick up another one because you don't want to spoil the feelings or thoughts you have roiling around in your head?  That's what The Elite did for me.  I know a lot of dystopian fiction people aren't keen on this series because it doesn't necessarily follow the "rules" of the genre, but I was looking past that when I read these.  The 2nd book does, however, hint more at the dystopian side, in case someone who hated the first book is reading this.  For those who have not read the first book, this series is a mix of The Bachelor and The Hunger Games (without the killing).

It's been awhile since a series had me wanting to read the next RIGHT NOW! I did not want to put this one down even though I had all kinds of other tasks I had to get to. The last 2/3 of the book were devoured by moi in one day and when I got to the end I slammed the book down on my lap in a hissy fit...because I probably have to wait another year to read the final book! Nooooooooooooo!!!  Without giving away too much, I have a pretty good idea of who is responsible for all the rebel battles in this one.  Ah yes, this book involves a castle, secret rooms, and rebel attacks.  The ups and downs of the characters in this one had me wanting to read and read and read. Gah! Why can't the next one be out already?! The killer cliff hanger of this 2nd book is way more harsh versus the first one.

My rating:  5 out of 5 stars || Goodreads average:  3.96 stars

I have so many books I still want to devour before heading back to work in a week.  Yes, a week!  Waaaaaaaah!!!  I haven't run into any horrible books this summer, so it seems here like I rate all the books I read 4 or 5 stars, but I purposefully picked books I knew I'd like this summer, since I anticipated not having much time to relax and read.  

Please feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow my reviews there.  I absolutely love discovering new and interesting books that I may not have found otherwise.  

What have you been reading lately?  Any standouts or duds?  Tell me about them!